Who understands? He traveled through time with a high-spec spatial ability.

Tantai Zhou smiled slightly and chuckled. She didn't care about the sensitivity of the topic, and her tone was as natural and casual as asking someone "Have you eaten?"

"Want to hear the truth?" he asked softly, his gaze fixed on her, a hint of curiosity and anticipation in his eyes.

“You don’t need to hide it from me,” she replied firmly, a confident smile on her face, as if she already knew everything.

Tantai Zhou's heart stirred, and he couldn't help but nod in agreement.

Yes, she seemed completely unconcerned about her true identity, whether she was Prince Tantai Zhou or the commoner Young Master Tan, it made no difference to her.

Perhaps it is this composure and detachment that makes their interactions so unique and comfortable.

"I grew up in the palace, and from a very young age, people told me about my duties as a prince; they told me how important my father's favor was, and they kept teaching me how to win his favor."

Once he started talking, he wanted to vent and let off steam, releasing all the pent-up feelings that had been building up inside him.

"My mother was a quiet and elegant woman, but one day she severely punished those who had instigated me."

My father originally intended for her to be empress, but because her maternal clan, the Zhao family, was not prosperous, she was relegated to the rank of concubine. My father felt indebted to me and showered me with affection, but this affection brought me much gain, yet I lost even more.

The wind howled past the window, carrying a biting chill. The tattered curtains billowed in the wind, like a ghost dancing in the room.

It floated lightly into the room, skimming over the charcoal brazier. The whitish charcoal clumps trembled in the wind, as if telling the story of their past burning.

The charcoal blocks in the pot gradually lost their last bit of heat, turning cold and pale. A thin layer of ash covered their surfaces, like the marks left by time.

The wind continued to blow, stirring up the ashes in the charcoal brazier and filling the air. As the wind subsided, the room returned to calm, with only the tattered curtains still swaying slightly.

He paused for a moment, looking at the flickering embers, and continued:

"The dogs, birds, and rabbits I like all die tragically one after another when I'm happiest."

My mother secretly shed tears on countless nights. My father loved my mother dearly, but because he had no choice, he had to share a part of himself with the other concubines.

My mother once said she was very happy to have me and my father by her side, but I knew she didn't say the last part: "Happy but not joyful."

"You asked me if I wanted that position. Putting everything else aside, I don't want it, not at all!"

But nobody believed me. Even my father, the Emperor, made the decision to appoint me Crown Prince on his own initiative, thinking I should be happy about it.

Xuan Yi and Feng Lao were warming themselves by the fire in the outer room, watching the snowflakes gradually fall in the courtyard. The two of them pursed their lips and remained silent.

Your Highness has not had a good time these past few years. Everyone says that as a prince, you have received real imperial favor, so what is there to be unhappy about?

He was like charcoal in a charcoal brazier, never willingly roasted but unable to escape being placed on it.

He had narrowly escaped death countless times, constantly on guard against the schemes of those around him and his loved ones. His time in Daba Village was one of the few days he could sleep soundly.

It's rare to have a private conversation with Miss Qiao today; it's better than keeping it bottled up inside.

"However, just because I don't want to doesn't mean I won't. If the person who ultimately wins isn't the most suitable, I will still make a move."

Although I dislike my status as a prince, it is a fact, and I cannot enjoy the wealth and privilege that comes with it while shirking my responsibilities.

He continued, "Currently, there are three factions among the princes: the eldest prince, Prince Jing, the fifth prince, Prince Qing, and the sixth prince, Prince An, form one faction; the second prince, Prince Duan, the third prince, Prince Rui, and the fourth prince, Prince Cheng, form another faction; and I form my own faction."

"Apart from the second son, who has some talent and is reasonably sensible, the others either despise the common people and are narrow-minded and unscrupulous, or are mediocre and lack the talent to govern a country. How can the people survive if such people come to power?"

"So, you want to be the most suitable person?" A hint of surprise flashed in Qiao Jingjing's eyes.

Tantai Zhou shook his head slightly, "The premise is that the person must be qualified. As long as that person can have the people in mind and treat the soldiers well, I can just be a leisurely member of the royal family."

Miss Qiao was silent for a moment, then said softly, "If you need it, I can help you."

He paused, then added, "Within two years, I can achieve financial and food independence."

Tantai Zhou smiled. "Thank you for your trust. However, the road ahead is still long. Let's see how they fight each other."

Suddenly, Qiao Jingjing felt a wave of tenderness wash over her. She had been in this world for half a year, yet she still considered herself an outsider, never truly integrating into it.

She doesn't see herself as a 15-year-old girl; in her soul, she's still a 24-year-old working woman.

Looking at this man now, she realized that her initial decision to save him in order to open the spirit field, and reflecting on the past, perhaps everything was preordained. Suddenly, she understood the meaning of her visit.

After the appearance of the jade pendant became associated with him, he was probably inseparable from this person for the rest of his life.

Thinking of this, Qiao Jingjing couldn't help but smile softly, and her gaze towards the man opposite her softened.

She thought that if all of this was fate, then she was willing to accept this arrangement of destiny.

Tantai Zhou felt a surge of warmth in his heart. He looked at Qiao Jingjing with tenderness in his eyes and asked, "May I call you Jingjing?"

Qiao Jingjing gave an irrelevant answer,

Guests come for tea and wine on a cold night,

The bamboo stove boils, the fire glows red.

The moon shines on the window as usual.

"It's different when plum blossoms appear."

Tantai Zhou was stunned for a moment, then immediately understood the meaning. What a fitting poem!

"Xuanyi, bring the wine."

Xuan Yi, standing outside the curtain, looked troubled. "Where's the wine? Besides, your health isn't suitable for drinking."

Qiao Jingjing stood up. "I'm going to get something from the carriage."

I took out a small bag of Da Hong Pao tea, a teapot, four cups, some tea snacks, a bag of spicy strips, and a roll of chestnut cakes from my space, and wrapped them separately in oil paper after removing the packaging.

Put down the thermos slung across my body and find a small basket for fruit to put the things in.

The Da Hong Pao tea has a rich aroma, a sweet and refreshing aftertaste, a mellow taste, and a smooth and pleasant throat feel, making it even more unforgettable than the Xiao Qing Gan tea.

The two chatted over tea, discussing everything under the sun, from officialdom to the common people. Tantai Zhou was amazed by Qiao Jingjing's erudition.

She can write poetry, do business, make paper, and cook many delicious foods. There are many other skills she has that he doesn't even know about. She is like a fairy sent down from heaven, capable of everything.

Compared to her, he only had martial arts skills and status to offer, but he was hampered by poisoning and unable to use them. As for his status, she didn't care at all.

The two people in the outer room are fighting over the last spicy snack.

"You're cheating! You clearly ate one just now."

"I'm old, so please give way to me."

No!